iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I think there is evidence of them moving south and heading towards the coast. As a SAD sufferer, I don't blame them.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

It would be nice to see this, I live local to it.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

If it helps, we're getting to the time of year where it can only be an Ivy Bee because similar Colletes species are going over, if not already gone for this year.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Thank you, David. Very good to see your garden trends, and I would also suggest they're mostly representative of larger trends.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Yes, very interesting. They overwinter as eggs, so it seemed unlikely to have been tricked.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Do you think it's a second generation CHB or a very, very late one?

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Great to see ATM in the spotlight again. He did a series of pictures in Lowestoft, Suffolk, some years ago, including the Norfolk Hawker at the end of our road!

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Similar story here in Suffolk, UK. The warmer summers means we can sometimes have two hutchinsonii broods but, without rain for the foodplants, the last brood is much smaller. At least it is expanding in the north.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Most likely a Clouded Yellow form helice. The extent of black border on the upperwings is a really good clue. Berger's and the nearly identical Pale Clouded Yellow are very rare visitors to our island.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Definitely an attempt at courtship.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

There's also a colony of Dingy Skipper in the surrounding earthwork fields that our ancestors kindly made suitable for them.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

There's a bumper crop hatching now after a good summer. They'll soon be heading south for winter in the Med. though, so, lots of feeding up to be done. I try to photograph them when it's only just sunny enough for them to fly. Lots of basking and nectaring!

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Reposted by James CBR

Chris Lansdell 💚💛🍄‍🟫🪲 @chrislansdell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Wall Brown is having a good year. 3rd generation now flying at Carlton Marshes SWT 😍 @bc-suffolk.bsky.social

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Not especially common where I live either but found most years in marshes, river valleys and associated reedbeds, right up to the coastline.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The Butterfly Isle or, if you prefer reference books, Butterflies of Britain and Ireland by Jeremy Thomas or Butterflies by Martin Warren. Otherwise, A Sting in the Tale.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It will be sad to see them go but necessary for next year's butterflies. Bon voyage.

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Chris van Swaay @chrisvanswaay.eurosky.social · 21/09/2026

2026 gave us more butterflies on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects than 2023 and 2024 (these years were the worst since 1990), and a little bit more than 2025, especially in August. But beware of shifting baseline, numbers in most years in the 1990s were often twice as high as nowadays.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

So true. I would expect a similar story in most countries, except perhaps in nature reserves and rewilding areas.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

This may be more than I have seen in my whole life.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Phenomenal, and there's more to come before winter.

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X88B88 @itsradicalhere.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Petition to rename San Andreas fault to Trumps fault -- change.org/trumpsfault

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Yes, I'm an optimist too. Many species can handle drought well but a few will have suffered. We're heading to the point where there are as many Large Tortoiseshell as small in southern areas.

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Butterfly Conservation @savebutterflies.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The results are in 🦋📢 A huge thank you to the 101,565 of you who took part in this year's #BigButterflyCount! While many widespread butterfly species had a good summer, drought and record heat could impact next year’s populations. Read the full results 👉 buff.ly/V75ZHi7

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William Brame @landguardbirder.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Fortunate to have been at Landguard this morning when Tom Salt our ringing Warden found a Queen of Spain Fritillary

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Same pattern here in Suffolk. Our third brood seems to have started (early September per species expert). It is building numbers in strongholds and tentatively recolonising former sites.

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martinswarren.bsky.social @martinswarren.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

A flurry of Painted Lady in south-east Dorset, presumably heading south to cross the channel, which they do at altitude so are rarely seen, unlike Red Admirals and Clouded Yellows which you can see heading out to sea at this time of year @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Suffolk is having quite a Clouded Yellow year - a nice surprise since we had a good year in 2025 (often, the year following a good year is nothing special). Seems the population survived winter and migration well. @suffolk-nats1929.bsky.social @bc-suffolk.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

A male Clouded Yellow butterfly resting on a Common Fleabane flower. It bright yellow with a white spot, ringed with red in the centre of it's underwing.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I like the composition, I wouldn't crop it any further.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Totally agree. Portraits give an ambiance and character we can explore. Action gives us the chance to see what goes on in that moment that is just a blur to us. I briefly foray into action only to return to wildlife portrait for deeper satisfaction.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

On the southern coast which is colder but not as damp as ours? I'm no expert on the species but I guess it can take -5 degrees comfortably. Water would be ice and disease would be far less of a problem. Our wet weather, turning cold at times, would be a double whammy. So, I think well drained soils.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I don't think our winters are too mild. If anything, the cold snaps will kill them off. The mild spells are usually very rainy and any waterlogging will kill them, rather than milder temps. They endured a few winters at Minsmere on sandy heathland soils. If they settle on, e.g. dunes, there's hope.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Thanks, Martin. Very helpful.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Yes, and perhaps this explains why NL has so many more Pale Clouded Yellow (C. hyale) than the UK. Only 30 or so recorded here since 2000 although weather and loss of habitat have probably had negative effects too.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Grayling courting on Westleton Heath in Suffolk. A rare chance to see the uppersides of this lovely late season butterfly. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-suffolk.bsky.social

Two Grayling butterflies, the male is in front of the female. His wings are open as he wafts his sandalwood pheromones over her antennae.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I hope so. Certainly won't do any harm. @epollard.bsky.social is more expert on this species and the dyke itself as an environment.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I'm a bit worried about the Adonis. It's suffered a lot in the drought across its range. The boundary is adjacent to the dyke and, as Suffolk's recorder, I do get some records on this side of the border. Usually it's adventurous Dark Green Frits. We have a tiny CHB colony, probably from the dyke.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I agree, it's not seemed like a good year for them.

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Butterfly Conservation Suffolk @bc-suffolk.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Butterflies need your help They are one of the indicators of the government measures of biodiversity This report "Accredited official statistics Butterfly populations in the UK and in England Updated 26 August 2026" www.gov.uk/government/s... shows the problem Join Butterfly Conservation now.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Supposedly a bit easier when they have the white rim to the flying saucer. It fades to brownish grey in autumn/winter and is very well camouflaged.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Clouded Yellow? Lucky you! Our third brood Wall Brown is imminent and, last year, had already started. It's been the best year for many years in Suffolk. The marshes stayed green enough, I hope, for a bumper crop of Wall Brown. Elsewhere, we hope for good news, like Martin.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

This is a very nice photograph.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

They do seem to be heavily parasitized.

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Especially welcome after a very good year last year. All too often the year following a good year (2025) is poor. Maybe a few Pale Clouded Yellow will come across the sea as well?

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James CBR @jamescbr.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

It is possible and I have set my BirdTrack to be 6-figure refs because I mostly record other taxa, including orchids through the app. As a County Recorder I do recognise the frustration that some of our systems cause and it invariably costs us some records.

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